If you’re looking for an under-the-radar discovery of a restaurant that offers guaranteed culinary fulfillment, I’d say this is it.
Few chefs can claim to be able to produce a menu that’s diverse and exciting and deliver them well.
Without fanfare, R-Toscanis opened at the corner of Enfield and Mary Streets in Mount Eden last October, offering a menu that includes Italian, Mediterranean, and Greek cuisines.
No, it’s not one of those Chinese takeaways that also tries to do burgers and steaks - but a restaurant that’s helmed by a world-class chef whose culinary story is as diverse and vibrant as the dishes he creates.
Chef Ricardo Al-Rikabi was born in Kuwait to a Dutch mother and an Arab father, and as a baby, they moved to Holland, but he spent a large part of his adult life in Italy.
“People often ask me what my race is, and I say I am Greek, Arabic, Iraqi, Dutch, and also Italian. I’m a bit of everything in the human race,” he said.
“Let’s say from the time I was born, it was in my blood to embrace diverse cultures, which eventually defined my cooking style.”
Ricardo’s path to becoming a chef is also far from ordinary. He discovered his passion for cooking when he was working part-time in a restaurant while studying medicine in Syria.
“I discovered that I found more meaning in seeing people happy when eating my food than in seeing sick people every day,” he said.
His love for working in the kitchen led him to Venice in Italy, where he mastered the art of Italian cooking.
It was in Italy that Chef Ricardo started experimenting with his cooking, sparking a dedication to blending tradition with innovation.
“Growing up, I have experienced many different styles of cuisine, from my family kitchen to the many restaurants that I worked in,” he said.
“So I thought, why don’t I create dishes that bring the best of the flavours from the cultures that make me who I am?”
So whether it’s Greek, Italian, Mediterranean or Middle-Eastern, Chef Ricardo will be able to serve up some truly stunning dishes.
Word of Chef Ricardo and his food soon spread, and he became very much a sought after chef.
His career highlights include cooking for the Queen of Holland to world leaders attending the G20 Summit to Hollywood celebrities.
“Among my most memorable cheffing moments was cooking for Sylvester Stallone and Johnny Depp,” Ricardo said.
Chef Ricardo has worked or owned restaurants in Holland, Canada, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Mexico, and, more recently, Australia before moving to New Zealand.
“I have experienced the big cities, and I want to now just have a more quiet life. Also what attracted me to New Zealand is the availability of its fresh ingredients, which is a chef’s dream,” he said.
“I love going around the farmers' markets looking for fresh ingredients, and everything I use at the restaurant is farm-fresh.”
One of the dangerously good items on the menu is the lamb shank with mashed potatoes, where the lamb shank is cooked with olive oil and garlic mixed with oregano. It is served on mashed potato that’s cooked with mozzarella cheese and fresh cream and topped with homemade gravy and mushrooms.
The menu also features dishes like the usual pizza, pastas, and steaks, but the specials of Chef Ricardo are the exciting bit.
For groups of 12 or more, Chef Ricardo orchestrates a stunning slow-roast lamb (comes in quarter, half, or whole lamb) with Middle Eastern flavours on a bed of champagne rice that’s lighter than biryani yet so fragrant and rich.
Advance orders of at least 48 hours are needed as it takes 12 hours or more to prepare this dish, where the lamb is fall-off-the-bone soft and is tender and flavourful.
“If you want a dish that will impress your guests as a centrepiece of the table, then this is it,” Ricardo said.
“It is a dish that is cooked during big celebrations and special events in Middle Eastern cultures, but here I’ve added my touch to it.”
The dish goes well with the fattoush salad - a seasonal salad with red onion, garlic sauce made of oregano parsley, garlic, olive oil and salt, and drizzled with pomegranate salad dressing, lemon juice and topped with cracked bread.
There’s also the less exotic option of the Greek salad that’s mixed with olives, olive oil, feta cheese and garlic.
The Mezze platter also features an exquisite parade of items that includes luxuriously creamy hummus, tzatziki, calamari, two arancini, two kofta, two meat balls, olives, and Toscanis bread.
Chef Ricardo said that he is passionate and excited to bring his global experience and cooking to Auckland - but his business has been “quieter than expected” since he opened.
“I always say that at my restaurant, the dining experience is where fine food meets heartfelt hospitality as I cook and serve from the heart,” Ricardo said.
“I want to share the love, I hope more people would come and experience it.”
R-TOSCANIS CAFE AND RESTAURANT, 30 Enfield Street, Mount Eden. Ph: 09 2179777. Business Hours: 11am to 9.30pm (Tuesday to Sunday). Closed on Monday.
Lincoln Tan is the co-founder of Chow Luck Club and a former senior journalist with The New Zealand Herald, specializing in diversity
